Copy of bcp 18112011 English - Natural Justice

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The biocultural community protocol of maldharis of banni3. WHO WE ARE:3We, Maldharis, are spread over 48 hamletsthat are organized into 19 panchayats (referto Annexure 2 for a list of 19 panchayats). Ourpopulation is around 17,000 with 90% beingMuslim and 10% being Hindu (refer toAnnexure 3 for a list of different castes ofMaldhari Muslim and Hindu communities-Maldhari hamlets are organized along castelines). We speak Kachchhi in Sindhi dialect.Both the Muslim and Hindu communitieskeep livestock while the Hindu Meghwals,and Vadha Koli have a rich history of beautifulembroidery, leatherwork, woodcarving andbuilding of bhungas (the traditional circularmud houses of the Maldharis). Women ofpastoral communities also prepare exquisiteembroidery. Both the Hindus and theMuslims have strong ties with each other andthe Muslims in solidarity with the Hindus donot eat beef. Historically the Muslimsprovided milk and ghee to the HinduMeghwals who in turn provided the Muslimswith leather shoes, saddles, reins, satchels forcarrying water and helped build theirbhungas.There are different stories of how we came tolive in the Banni. The Banni was bequeathedas a commons by the erstwhile Maharao toour ancestors who were nomadic pastoralistsoriginating from the Sindh region in Pakistan.It was given to our custody with the conditionthat we protect the grassland ecosystem andshare it communally for grazing and not use itfor agriculture or divide it up into privateproperty. We have since used Banni only as apastureland and discouraged any farming orprivate land holding within it.
The biocultural community protocol of maldharis of banni4We have the title deed from the Maharao thatbequeaths this land to us. Under the rulershipof Jadejas, there was a system of Grasdharseach administering one of the 23 subecoregionsof Kachchh. We have tax receiptsas evidence that we historically paid pancheri(grazing tax) to the Grasdhars in exchange forthe right to graze our animals in Banni. AfterIndian Independence in 1947, Kachchh became apart of the Bombay presidency in 1953 and Bannicontinued to be used as a grassland under thecontrol of the Revenue Department without anyallocation of private land holding.Title deed from Maharao Shree of Kutch & tax receipts as evidence that we historically paidpancheri (grazing tax)
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